The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-11-20
CHEAP COAL.
Az Argument in Favor of a
Reduction.

To the Editor of THE HERALD:
The question of fuel is becoming one
, of vital importance, and one that must
be met, by other means than those now
in use, in the very near future. Next
to food itself, lies this important ques-
ton. Use for years has demonstrated
that the Plessan: Valley coal (the coal
we mostly use in Utah county, is both
free from dross and IN excellent arti-
Gle, so far as Its burning qualities are
concerned, but its enduring qualities
present quite another and very differ
ent phase, phase by no means i'm
portant to the seller, but vastly i'm
portant to the consumer. Careful tests,
quite lately, have proven that cord of
good maple wood will burn out ton of
Pleasant Valley coal. One ton of best
English coal will consume two and q
half tons of it. The cost of mining and
putting on cars ton Of English coal is
greater than that Of mining and loading
ton of Pleasant Valley coal. If proof
vi This is wanting it can be furnished.
1t must be remembered that coal is
obtained at great depths in that
compared with that of Pleasant Val
ley, the height Of cut in the
latter being thirty feet, an unparalleled
vein, and further, that IN England. an
engine to pump the immense quantity
of water flowing in at such depths is
kept constantly running; also elevators,
and hands to run these, and yet this
excellent coal is sold in Staffordshire
and Yorkshire at $3.50 per ton, and
shipped to London and delivered at re-
tail, at the door of the consumer. st
$3.50. The result of this high-priced
coal, so far as its consumption Is con-
cerned, / find, on careful inquiry in
the city where 1 live, to be that one of
every forty-fve families burns coal.
Why this small percentage2 it may be
asked. For the most potent of reasons,
the people cannot reach such figures.
Farmers generally buy coal in the fall,
when wheat cashes for so cents per
bushes. Coal costs US at the railway
station SIS IS per ton, requiring eleven
and half bushels or wheat to buy
ton of coal. Now, as it requires at the
very least four tons of such coal to keep
one fire, each farmer purchasing coal
must sell forty-six bushels OF wheat to
make the purchase. It must, therefore,
appear at BlauCS, Ludt IbrmSfS
cannot touch such prices. Sup
pose q city like Provo, say of 1000
families, to consume at the least
estimate, if they purchased coal instead
of wood, 1000 tons of coal for home use
only, it would net the railroads for that
one city, only $4S, 600, snug little SUM,
and the other cities Of the county
south of Provo would swell the pur-
chase TO $4,000. It can be seen then
that cheap coal would be matter of
economy to the railroads and blessing
to the masses; whereas, from what l
can ascertain, as nearly as possible,
only one family in forty-6ve purchase
coal now. I am thankful that the high
price of coal will no doubt, be the
means of opening good roads up
Pleasant Valley, as the matter is being
zealously sgitated and will form the
topic of earnest@discusslon this winter.
Here are a number of excellent coal
beds, owned by the people, lying IN
worked. Good roads will furnish the
south half of Utah County, comprising
three-fourths of its population, with
coal which can be paid for in produce
and hauled during the time of good
roads. Success to the enterprise. it
must succeed. @. d. i,
SPANISH FORK, Nov. IS, 1887.